San Diego Spotlight

POP MUSIC : Usual Suspects Make Wanted List in Best Unsigned Band Contest

During his second show at Humphrey's on Shelter Island last Wednesday night, Al Green disassembled a bouquet of red roses and handed them out, one by one, to the stream of eager ladies running up to the stage. There were more ladies than roses, however, and shortly before the end of the show, the soul crooner-turned-gospel swooner ran out. No problem. He grabbed a stalk of baby's breath that had come with the bouquet, tore it apart, and dispersed the tiny white flowers among the final rush of clutching hands. . . .

July was the best month ever in the nine-year history of the annual Concerts by the Bay series at Humphrey's, reports promoter Kenny Weissberg, with no fewer than 10 sold-out shows. The capacity crowd-getters: Patti LaBelle, Harry Connick Jr., Harry Belafonte (twice), Johnny Mathis (twice), Garrison Keillor and Chet Atkins, Spyro Gyra, Michael Franks, and Dave Brubeck. . . .

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday for K.T. Oslin and Ricky Van Shelton's Sept. 13 concert at the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park, and for Melissa Etheridge's Sept. 14 appearance at San Diego State University's Open Air Theatre. . . .

Best concert bets for the coming week: Ray Charles, tonight at Humphrey's; Robert Plant with Alannah Myles, Thursday at the San Diego Sports Arena; Alan Munde and Country Gazette, Saturday at the Del Mar Shores Auditorium, and Waylon Jennings, Sunday at Humphrey's.